The Cleveland Cavaliers evened their playoff series at 2-2 with a 112-103 home victory over the Detroit Pistons, powered by an unforgettable second-half performance from Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell finished with 43 points, scoring 39 in the second half—matching the NBA playoff record set by Golden State’s Eric “Sleepy” Floyd in 1987. He tied the mark with a free throw with 27.6 seconds left but missed the second attempt that would have broken it. “Everyone told me I missed a free throw that would have broken the record,” Mitchell said. “But it’s 2-2, and we’re going to Detroit. That’s what matters, and that’s the only thing that counts.”
The Cavaliers trailed 56-52 at halftime. Coach Kenny Atkinson urged his team to speed up the pace and attack the paint during the break. Cleveland responded with a stunning 24-0 run spanning the final 12 seconds of the second quarter and the first six minutes of the third, with Mitchell scoring 15 during that stretch. It was the longest continuous scoring run in an NBA playoff game since the 2024 Western Conference semifinals and set a new franchise playoff record for the Cavaliers.
For the Pistons, Caris LeVert scored a season-high 24 points, Cade Cunningham managed just 19 points—his first game below 20 in 11 playoff outings this season—and Tobias Harris added 16.
Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff voiced frustration over the free throw disparity. Mitchell attempted 15 free throws alone, more than the entire Pistons team (12). “Their one guy shot more free throws than our whole team. That’s impossible. We’re not a jump-shooting team,” Bickerstaff said. “The whistle has changed since we came to Cleveland.”
Game 5 will be played Wednesday night in Detroit, where all four games of the series so far have been won by the home team. The Cavaliers are 6-0 at home this postseason. James Harden recorded 24 points and 11 assists for his 40th career playoff double-double, while Evan Mobley contributed 17 points.